The Light and The Dark
by Sydney9783
Summary: A backstory to Sarah from Breath of Fire 1. Sarah must begin a pilgrimage to become a preistess of Ladon. This journey quickly becomes more than she ever thought possible. (Remember to R&R!)
1. The Light and the Dark: Chapter 1

Author's comments: This is the intro to a fic about Sara i've had in my mind for a long time. I always find myself wondering about Sara's past....and this is what i've come up with. This fic will be multi chaptered, I have no idea how long, but i'm determined to finish it. As always I welcome constructive criticism.  
  
A few notes before you read it though:  
  
1. I changed how Sara's name is to Sarah because it looks better and that's more than likly what it was supposed to be. (BoF1 had a 4 letter limit to names.)  
  
2. Sarah is 18 in this fic. I honestly could not find a good place to put her age. So I put it here.  
  
And now, without further delay I give you....  
  
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The Light and the Dark  
  
Sarah sat knelt in front of the statue of the Dragon God Ladon, praying in silence. It was customary for acolytes of the dragon to pray to Ladon before they embarked on their journey. The journey in which they would experience the world and find their purpose for serving the dragon god, then return to take their place as a preist or preistess of Ladon.  
  
The shrine was lit by the torches near the entrance. The wisps of light illuminating the domed inside. The water around the dragon statue was clear and calm. The only real sound was the occasional crackle of the torches.  
  
Father Morgan, an elderly preist of Ladon walked into the shrine quietly. His white robes flowed as he walked. The light of the torches illuminated his elderly face and reflected off his wise green eyes. "Sarah." He said softly.  
  
Sarah opened her blue eyes and looked back to Morgan. "Is it time already?"  
  
The elderly preist nodded. "It is child."  
  
Sarah sighed and stood up, pushing back a few strands of her long cerulean colored hair. Her long white robes were much the same as Morgan's. Except for in the middle where a blue dragon was sewn in.  
  
Sarah's expression was one of melancholy. "I must admit...I'm not completely unafraid."  
  
Moran smiled at her warmly. "Do not fear. If you maintain your faith, Ladon will always watch over you." Morgan beckoned Sarah to come with him. "It is time for your send off I think."  
  
Sarah nodded hesitantly, not at all satisfied with his answer, then followed him outside.  
  
At the entrance of the town, all of the villagers were gathered. They applauded her as she approached. She tried not to look at them. She hated being the center of attention.  
  
"Sis!" Said a boy around the age of eleven as he ran towards Sarah. His blue hair hung half the length of Sarah's and was unkempt. His eyes were as deep a blue as her own and filled with an never ending sense of energy.  
  
Sarah smiled and kneeled down to his eye level. "Hello Ryu."  
  
Ryu looked back at her with a scowl. "You better come back soon. I don't have anyone else to play with you know."  
  
"I told you I will. I'll try not to be gone too long." Sarah ruffled up his already shaggy hair playfully.  
  
Ryu smiled happily, a long fanged tooth being shown. "You better!"  
  
A woman walked behind Ryu and placed her hands on the child's shoulders.  
  
Ryu looked up and smiled at her. "Momma, Sarah said she'd be back soon!"  
  
The woman tried to smile but it came out in a sad manner.  
  
Sarah stood back up and looked at her mother solemnly. The woman had black hair which was shoulder length. She wore a brown dress, attire she normally wore for social occasions. Her eyes were as deep a brown as the dress, having a hollow glow to them.  
  
"So. This is it." The woman said with a less than pleased tone.  
  
Sarah nodded softly, unconsciously playing with a loose strand of cloth in her robes. The two had never exactly seen eye to eye on most levels. "Yes." Sarah said dryly, trying to avoid eye contact.  
  
Sarah's mother brought a hand to Ryu's head. "Don't be gone too long. For his sake."  
  
Sarah's eyes fell upon Ryu. "Make sure you take care of him."  
  
Hurt appearing on her face, The older woman looked at Ryu softly. "I will." She said with a shaky voice.  
  
Sarah saw the expression her mother's face and tried to think of something to say to counter it. Father Morgan broke in before she could however.  
  
"It's time for the send off Sarah."  
  
Sarah nodded and walked with Morgan to just outside the entrance of the town. The green grass swayed in the wind as the two stopped.  
  
Father Morgan turned to Sarah and pulled a gold tiara from a pocket in his robes. He held it above his head and turned towards the villagers.  
  
"Today, Sarah, who was born and raised here in Drogen, shall set out on the pilgrimage. She will continue on this holy journey until the time that she finds the purpose Ladon set her unto this world to fufill." Morgan turned to Sarah and gently placed the tiara on her head. "We send you on your journey. Until the day you return, our prayers to Ladon will be with you." Morgan took a step away from her.  
  
The crowd at the entrance began to applaud her and cheer for her.  
  
Sarah really didn't hear them, or any of the ritualistic speech Morgan had given. Her eyes had been on Ryu and her mother. Ryu was waving estatically, that normal carefree look on his face. Her mother on the other hand looked as though she were about to cry. She had never cared much for her mother, But it still pained Sarah to know she had hurt her.  
  
Sarah knew it was time to leave. she sighed taking one last look at her family. With a heavy heart, she walked from the place that had always been her home. With a tear in her eye, she looked towards the future. 


	2. The Light and the Dark: Chapter 2

Look! I wrote another chapter! Yay! I'll try to get the next one up sometime soon.  
  
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Sarah sat alone in a wooden chair, which was around a small table made of the same type of brown old wood. She had arrived here at Camlon early that morning, after two days of travel. Travel that was lonesome in a way she was unaccustomed to. But she knew she had to press on into this dark, unknown world.   
  
She had gotten lodging at this INN with some of the money which was provided to her by the church of Ladon.   
  
The dust stained window next to her filtered the sun from outside and fell on her white robes. She glanced around the room. It was the same as it had been the last seven times she had looked. People were still scattered around the various tables. Mainly construction workers getting drunk off ale and slapping the waitresses asses. There were a few others though. Such as Manillos trying to sell off junk to drunk men, a Forest clan member or two brooding over a cup of ale at their tables, and a bunch of large Smith clan members arm wrestling for cash.  
  
She sighed, finding it all so lonely. Everyone sort of scuttled away from her. The world had become very unkind to the Church of Ladon and it's followers. She didn't really blame them. The Dragon War had destroyed so much and killed so many, it was only right for them to hate the Dragons.  
  
"Excuse me. Are you a Light Dragon Preistess?" Said a man from behind her.  
  
Startled, she turned quickly and looked him with a slightly suspicious glare.   
  
He was about her height, Jade green eyes, short blond hair, white skin, and robes almost identical to her own, except his were the purest black and did not bear the custom dragon symbol. She guessed he was close in age to herself. Maybe no more than twenty years old.  
  
She responded softly. "No, i'm afraid not. I''ve only just begun the journey."  
  
The man nodded eloquently. "I see."  
  
Sarah looked over his robes again. She had a suspicion of what he was, though she knew not who he was. "Are you a Dark Dragon Preist?"  
  
The man smiled wearily. "Yes, I do believe you could say that."  
  
Sarah smiled back, suspicion disappearing as he acknowledged. She felt glad to meet someone with whom she could share a common interest.   
  
She had always wondered about the Light Dragon's cousins, the Dark Dragons. She had never actually met one before and this chance was exhilarating. She was not going to let the opportunity get away.  
  
Sarah rose from her seat and bowed. "My name is Sarah Bateson. It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
The young man bowed in return. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well Sarah. My name is Nicholas Coen." He gestured towards a chair at her table. "May I have a seat?"  
  
Sarah nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes. Please do. I would enjoy the company."  
  
Nicholas chuckled at her anxiousness and took a seat. Sarah returned to her own seat.  
  
Nicholas pulled his black robes back from his wrists and crossed his arms. Sarah noticed a strange tattoo of a black winged gargoyle type demon on his left arm. She thought of it for a moment, then passed it off as some kind of Dark Dragon custom.  
  
"So," He said casually. "How long have you been on the journey?"  
  
She leaned forward on the table a bit. "This is my third day since leaving actually."  
  
"Ah. I see."  
  
They said nothing for a few moments. Sarah broke the silence hesitantly.  
  
"If I may ask, how long did it take you to complete the journey? No one ever tells me how long it normally takes."  
  
Nicholas looked at her a moment with a slightly pained look on his face. His gaze floated off to the people around him. "It didn't take too long. I found my purpose....quite quickly."  
  
Sarah looked at him with concern as he avoided eye contact. "I'm sorry if I-"  
  
He quickly looked back at her, smiling and cutting her off. "No, it's fine." He glanced at a group of humans as they burst into laughter at some unheard joke. "I'm suprised they can laugh like that at a time like this."  
  
Sarah cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  
  
Nicholas looked over to her with a smirk for a moment, which then disappeared as he looked at her. "Oh, I thought you knew." Nicholas straightened himself up and leaned towards Sarah. "For the last few weeks, this town has been under assault in a way. See, in a cave to the west, a bunch of undead have been popping up. Lots of zombies and such. They've been making a few night raids lately against this town. Killed a few people."  
  
Sarah look at him in suprise. "Undead? But, how? Doesn't the church keep those under control?"  
  
Nicholas nodded. "Normally, yes. But the church is having...difficulties lately. The counsol is bickering with each other over the issue of Zog's little uprising in Scande, so the whole of the church is clamoring around to find Zog's spies. They can barley keep their paranoia of each other in check, let alone send preists to quell undead outbreaks."  
  
Sarah leaned back in her chair and asessed the information. She had heard a little of the rebel Zog and his attacks on the church, but she never thought it would cause this much disruption.  
  
Nicholas shuffled his robes a bit. "I actually came here to put their poor souls to rest. The undead I mean. I've been to their nest once. Barley made it back alive, let alone free their souls. Ever since i've been looking for some assistance. In fact, that's why I came to you."  
  
Sarah looked at him questioningly.  
  
"See, i've already gotten two locals to help me out on this, but I need someone else too. Namely, a Light dragon preist or preistess."  
  
"Why would you need a Light Dragon's help?"  
  
Nicholas shifted uneasily in his chair. "There are reasons, but i'd prefer not to go into them."  
  
Sarah reflected on it all for a moment. Why he wouldn't say, her duty as a light dragon, the wandering souls that stalked the night. Could she even trust this Dark Dragon? She had only just met him after all, and had heard so many stories of Dark Dragon treachery. But her duty came first, and she hoped Nicholas thought the same way.  
  
She straightened up her robes. "I may not be a preistess yet...but I still have a duty to the people of this town and those trapped souls."  
  
Nicholas eyed her strangely for a few moments. "Well, you seem to have the drive."   
  
He thought about it for a short time. "Alright. I was hoping I could find a fully fledged Light Dragon, but time is running short." He stood up and pushed in his chair. "We'll leave tomorrow morning if you don't mind. I'll meet you at the town entrance with the two I hired."  
  
"Alright, i'll meet you there then." Sarah said.  
  
Nicholas bowed to her. "May Ladon be with you."  
  
Sarah stood up and bowed in return. "May he be with you as well."  
  
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Nicholas ran a hand through his short hair. He was lucky and he knew it. To find a Light Dragon in a town like this, let alone one as naive as Sarah was a miracle.  
  
He pushed the wooden door to his room, it creaked as it opened and quickly closed behind him. He leaned against the wall and sighed. He hated to get a person as innocent as Sarah had seemed involved in something like this, but he had his own priorities. He walked to his small, well used bed with great exhaustion. He pretty much fell on it and lay there silently, eyes closed.  
  
"You look so peaceful there, little dragon." Came a calm, soft as silk female voice.  
  
Nicholas' eyes shot open and he pulled himself off his bed. He looked to the woman with anger. It was her again. She stood leaning against the wall casually. Her silver hair cascaded over her white Light Dragon robes. Her gold eyes looked at him almost seductively.  
  
Nicholas scowled. "What are you doing here?" He said angrily.  
  
The woman smirked. "Touchy, aren't we?" She moved to a nearby dresser and looked into the large mirror on it, then began to fix her already well done straight hair. "Brad just wanted me to check up on you. To make sure you're doing what he told you to." She rubbed a spec of dirt off her tanned white skin.  
  
Nicholas' scowl intensified. "I said I would get it, didn't I witch?"  
  
The woman stopped messing with her hair and turned to face Nicholas. She smirked again. "Don't bite the messanger." She walked towards him until she was face to face with Nicholas. "Just do what he says and nothing will happen to your little friend."   
  
She grabbed the neck of his robes and forcefully pulled him so close to her that it looked as though she would kiss him. "Just a bit of wisdom for the ignorant." She cooed softly. "Despite his demeanor, he's quite a wrathful man."   
  
She looked deep into his eyes, as if trying to find his soul. "If you betray him....she will not be the only one to die. He'll kill everyone you care about."  
  
The woman pushed him back with a gentle effort and a laugh.  
  
Nicholas was severely unnerved. "I-I'll get the damned thing."  
  
The woman smiled softly. "I know you will." She giggled. "I do beleive it's time for me to get going. Good luck. You'll certainly need it." She quickly chanted a warp spell and disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. 


	3. The Light and the Dark: Chapter 3

The Light and the Dark: Chapter 3  
  
Sarah made her way through the busy town. It was far more crowded than it had been when she entered it the day before. But this was morning, so everyone wanted to get to the merchants first, she figured.   
  
The city of Camlon itself was very expansive. To the point that a person could become lost among the many similarly constructed wooden buildings that inhabited it. Beyond the peasant area of the city, the castle of Camlon stood. Not as grand as any fairy tale castle, but still a testament to strength.  
  
Sarah followed through the crowd. The streets were littered with makeshift stands for merchants, each with their own respective owner preaching about the unbelievable quality of their items. Unbelievable was an under-statement for what they were selling.  
  
Sarah re-adjusted the strap on her shoulder which held the brown bag at her side aloft. It was filled with some provisions she had decided to buy the day before, just in case Nicholas had expected she bring her own.   
  
She eventually made it to the entrance of town, after having to zig zag through clogged streets to find her way out for longer than she expected.  
  
Nicholas stood at the open gates, two others hanging around near him. The two he hired, she deduced.  
  
The Dark Dragon smiled upon seeing her and waved for her to come.   
  
She nodded and complied. As she approached she looked over the two next to him.  
  
One was huge, and his features were distinctive enough. He was a member of the Smith clan whose craftsmanship of all things metallic was legendary.  
  
The Smith stood tall, the handle of a large metal hammer in his firm grip. It was slung upon his mighty shoulder in a carrying position. His other hand held the strap to a rucksack of such size that it would be as large as any normal human if compared. His Muscles were huge, even for one of his clan. She wondered if his brown tanned skin would rip if he had anymore sinew. He wore only worn blue shorts with rips and tears all throughout them, and a thick brown strap across his chest.  
  
His face was rather flat, adorned with a thick black and grey beard. He looked at her with a stern, defiant gaze that made him appear akin to a statue. Yet the gaze bore a sense of malice that few statues possessed.  
  
Next to the behemoth of muscle, stood a young human man. He stood with arms crossed. His short brown hair was matted and unkempt, slightly spiked out from sweat. His face was rather clean, save for a smudge of what looked like dried grease on the corners of his mouth. Probably from scarfing down a quick meal, Sarah thought. He looked her over with his brown eyes, smiling at her as she approached. For some reason his posture and smile reminded her of Ryu, slightly.  
  
He wore loose fitting brown clothes that had hints of leather on the shoulders and sides of the pants. Attached to his belt was a Hand and a Half sword, sheathed in it's black scabbard. A few sheathed knives strapped along the calves of both legs were also visible.  
  
Nicholas smiled as Sarah reached the three. "I'm glad you came. I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind."  
  
Sarah pushed back a few stray strands of hair. "Sorry, I bought some things. I didn't think it would take so long to find my way through the city."  
  
Nicholas waved a hand in dismissal. "It's no problem. We'll just have to walk a little faster now." He chuckled and nodded in the direction of the two next to him. "These are the two I hired." He pointed out the Smith. "That's Moose."   
  
Moose vaguely nodded at her.  
  
Then he pointed out the human. "And that's Wilfred."  
  
Wilfred smiled at Sarah. "Hi'ya. Just call me Wil."  
  
Sarah nodded and smiled. "It's good to meet you Wil. And you too Moose."   
  
Moose simply looked at her with contempt. Sarah's smile faded as the Smith continued his visual assault.  
  
"Don't mind him." Wil said from behind Sarah.   
  
She jumped, startled. She hadn't even seen him move.  
  
Wil continued, a small smirk on his lips at her reaction. "He's like this with some people." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled, holding back laughter. "He's actually a teddy bear once you get to know him!" His laughter exploded.  
  
Sarah giggled. She didn't know why he was laughing, but it was infectious.  
  
Moose grunted and glared at Wil, ceasing the human's laughter.  
  
"Well." Nicholas spoke up from the side. "We should get going. It should only take us a day and a half to get to the cave." He walked out the town's exited, black robes fluttering as a wind swept through. It made him look slightly mystic as he began to trudge along the grass plains.  
  
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They walked until night's arrival seemed imminent. They quickly set up camp a good distance from the main trail. The campsite had a lot of rocks, mostly small but there were a few large ones that they used for seats.   
  
Star speckled in the sea of the dark sky like beacons, guiding travelers home. The hoots of owls, singing of crickets, and the roaring fire were the only sounds that stood out through the night. Nicholas had decided to go to sleep early, insisting the others to do the same. Moose had gone to fetch some more fire wood after brooding around for a few hours. Wil and Sarah sat outside around the fire.  
  
Wil had been the life of the party during the whole day of walking. He had cracked jokes and told stories a good deal of the way.   
  
Nicholas had remained silent most of the time, except when something needed to be said.   
  
Moose had said nothing at all and simply followed Nicholas.   
  
Sarah had spent most of the time listening to Wil's stories and jokes.   
  
He's just like Ryu, she thought as she glanced at Wil. He sat with a long, sharp looking dagger, trying to get something out from under his pinky's finger nail.  
  
She missed being home in Drogen. The cackling flames of the camp fire reminded her of the small fireplace she had in her own house. Sitting in front of it alone, just staring at the flames and rocking in the old creaking chair. The house cat jumping into her lap as she would always doze off. Ryu causing a ruckus upstairs as he explained why he didn't have sleep at bedtime to their mother.  
  
"Say," She said. "Do you have a family?"  
  
He glanced up at her and shook his head with a smirk. "No." He said bluntly. "You?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes, I have my mom and my younger brother back home in Drogen." She smiled. "You're actually like an adult version of him. My brother I mean."  
  
He looked up and smiled. "May the god's have mercy on the world then. One of me causes enough trouble." He said jokingly.  
  
Sarah giggled. In her isolated life in Drogen, she had never met someone like him, other than Ryu. But that was different.  
  
"What about your mom? What's she like?" He asked.  
  
Sarah glanced at the fire, then back at him. "Well....she..." She cleared her throat, trying to think of something to say.  
  
Wil chuckled, already understanding. "I see." He laid the dagger to the side. "What about your dad?"  
  
Sarah didn't say anything for a few moments. "Well, I never knew him very well. He vanished when I was around six years old." She smiled. "I remember that he was kind. And gentle. He was just sorta, always there for you if you needed anything. And he loved helping people. He'd go out of his way to help anyone and everyone he could."  
  
Wil looked at her briefly and smiled. "Sounds like you knew him pretty well after all, then."  
  
Sarah smiled back. She quickly glanced outside the firelight as sounds of branches breaking flew through the air. A large, dark figure lumbered towards the camp.  
  
Wil moved his gaze back to his dagger and started picking again, seemingly unaffected by whatever danger approached. "Back already, eh big guy?"  
  
Moose walked into the fire light and dropped a huge bundle of logs. He glanced at Sarah and snorted, walking to and sitting on a large rock. He slumped over and began throwing some of the wood into the fire.  
  
Sarah wasn't fond of the Smith. He seemed to look down at her with Prejudice at every turn. She had tried many times to start a conversation with him, but he'd always just shrug her off, never saying a word. Every time she saw his eyes, she kept feeling a deep sense of a burning hate from within him. Like he was just barley able to restrain himself from attacking her. She didn't want to be alone around him for any length of time.  
  
She looked at the Smith, and he looked back at her slowly with his death gaze. She shuddered.  
  
"I think i'm going to go to sleep now." She said and stood up from her small rock.   
  
Wil looked up at her. "Ok, G'night. Don't worry, me and Moose'll keep night watch."  
  
Sarah nodded and walked to her own sleeping bag, glancing at Moose as she laid down and shuddered.  
  
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They awoke early the next morning at daybreak and quickly packed up the camp. They trudged across the long dirt trail for a a good three hours. They stopped as Wil had spotted something off the side of the road.  
  
Wil was hunkered over what he had found. Sarah walked over to see his discovery, but quickly backed off and placed her hand over her mouth after she saw.   
  
The corpse of a human, a merchant most likely. It was mutilated, it's throat ripped clean out, as well as many other, far more numerous bloody bite marks all over it's body.  
  
Wil shook his head. "We're getting close to that cave." He stood up and patted dust off his pants. "He must have been killed sometime during the night. The blood's still kinda fresh."  
  
Sarah looked at the corpse grimly. "We...should bury it and perform the rights." She said to the nearby Nicholas.  
  
He nodded. "Should I do them or you?"  
  
"I'll do them." She replied solemnly.  
  
Nicholas nodded. "Moose? Think you can dig a grave?"  
  
Moose gave a quick head gesture. Yes. He set the large rucksack on the ground and pulled out a shovel.  
  
The grave was dug quickly and Wil placed the corpse inside, then the burial place was filled with black dirt. Nicholas made a cross from two sticks he tied together and placed it at the head of the site.  
  
Sarah stood at the edge of the grave and placed a hand out. "Ladon, our creator and savior, guide this soul to the realm of the dead." A soft white glow emmenated from her hand. The soft light left her hand and fell like a feather through the air, and penetrated the ground.  
  
"Alright." Nicholas said as the ceremony was finished. "Let's get going."  
  
The others nodded and left the grave site.   
  
Nicholas stayed behind along with Sarah. He moved to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're going to find more corpses when we get to the cave. We don't have time to perform the rights on all of them."  
  
Sarah nodded grimly. "I understand."  
  
Nicholas patted her shoulder and joined the others.  
  
Sarah stayed behind a bit longer, looking solemnly at the grave. "This isn't right." 


	4. The Light and the Dark: Chapter 4

Author's notes: Jeez. I am really, really late with this chapter. Sorry to those who were reading and have been waiting. Truely, I am. Well, since that's out of the way, begin reading the newest chapter!  
  
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The Light and the Dark: Chapter 4  
  
The cavern was dark, musky, and admittedly quite a bit frightening, considering the inhabitants. The hiss of a torch lighting sounded as Moose ignited one. The walls of the cave were made of a reflective black rock which danced around as the light from the torch reached them.  
  
A stench of decay permeated the air. Sarah held the arm cloth of her robe against her nose. The smell was horrific.  
  
Nicholas handed her a torch. "Stay together."  
  
"Let's get this party started." Wil said with a forced laugh. Either to give the rest of the group courage, or himself, Sarah couldn't tell. Nicholas led the pack.  
  
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"Is it just me or am I about to barf?" Wil said as he obviously held back the urge to spew breakfast onto the ground.   
  
They had been traveling these tunnels for seemingly forever. The maze of twists and turns held them within it's grasps at all times.   
  
The sound of distant groans and howls were constantly filling the air. Mournful cries begging something, anything to bring an end to an unwanted suffering. As they went, they would occasionally see areas where something had scratched deep grooves into the black stone. Possibly scraped in by the cursed souls condemned within the cavern.  
  
The poor people. Ripped from life and light to take the life of others for the dark. Trapped in a rotting corpse for the rest of eternity. Every moment of consciousness brings with it the realization that whatever skin on the body is slowly decaying, hanging off bones and becoming puss like more every day. Humanity seeping away with each passing second. The only remaining instinct is to hunt, kill and feast on the newly dead. Sarah shuddered at the thought, pulling her robes tighter around her in protective embrace.  
  
Every moment spent in the muggy darkness was like a darker version of some form of hell.The heat from the torch, along with the constant fear of something inhuman in the darkness around them kept her senses docked in a lake of fear.   
  
Her mind occasionally broke free of fear and paranoia and drifted along. Her brain would skip from subject to subject. Morgan's lessons, spells, what she ate that morning, the way leaves blew in the wind, what slimes could possibly eat. Just a strange set of thoughts connected in some unexplainable way. Or maybe she was just trying to get her mind off the calls of the dead.  
  
Or maybe it was the Suspicion that constantly intruded everytime she looked at Nicholas. She had always been told stories about how deceitful Dark Dragons could be. How they lie to get what they want. She subconsciously cursed herself for trusted someone so blindly.   
  
Stories she'd heard weren't her only reason for doubting, however. It seemed the farther they delved into the caves, the further he got from the rest of them. He would barely speak, his movements were irregular and he seemed to get a nervous twitch in his green eyes every time the group stopped to rest.  
  
She noticed Wil was beginning to feel the same way about him. He seemed increasingly cautious towards the dark priest.  
  
She couldn't tell anything about Moose, however. The giant hadn't changed his expression since the moment they entered the accursed place.  
  
The tension was always getting higher, and a little voice in the back of her head always seemed to whisper with the utmost softness "Go back". But she didn't listen.  
  
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The murmur of hundreds of chattering priests filled the air. Dark and Light dragons commerced in the large commune section of the church. The tiles below glittered in a checkered pattern of marble. Brilliant pillars of similar marble stretched out from the tiles to the grey domed ceiling.   
  
  
  
The light from the midday sun streamed in through colored glass which depicted dragons and scenes from the Book of Ladon.  
  
She walked through the busy crowd. Her white robes fluttered and wisped as she zig and zagged past stationary groups of arguing priests. Her silver hair glistened as she passed one of the gleaming windows.  
  
She stopped in front of sentry mages guarding a large, thick looking brown door. They stood rigid, one in white robes and one in black. Each's garments were pressed and cleaned until not a speck of dirt was visible. Their lifeless white eyes stared blankly into space. Well groomed white beards covered their wrinkled, stone-like faces.  
  
Such lifeless fools, she thought. "I am Lady Claire, Priestess of the white talon order. I'm here to see a prisoner."  
  
The guards' glassy eyes shifted over her, then returned to their spaced out stare. After a moment, the large brown door behind them opened. She entered.  
  
"Dead beats." She whispered to herself as she descended down the brick stairs.   
  
The dungeon was rank with a moldy, unclean smell. Lighting was poor, the balls of magic light flickered and waned from their positions on the ceiling. their magic apparently almost gone.  
  
Clair passed cell after cell. The dungeon housed all forms of scum, from heretics to stupid thieves who got caught trying to pilfer from the church. They were 'purified' daily. It composed of burning them every morning with a holy spell. The damage wasn't permanent. Most of the time.   
  
But Clair wasn't here to see these scum.  
  
She stopped at the last enclosure. The cell was near pitch black, only the faint sight of a barely moving figure could be made out by her piercing gold eyes.  
  
Clair raised a hand, creating a ball of light. It illuminated the darkness.  
  
Inside cowered a young woman, her hands chained and cuffed to the wall, wrists black and blue from hanging for days. Once soft and clean black robes were now scorched and ripped. Her head hung low, lengthy dirty blonde hair lay straggled over it, hiding her face. The girl's white skin was covered in dirt and grim.  
  
Clair waved a hand over the locking mechanism, causing it to unlock. "Are you awake?" She asked as she paced in.  
  
The girl shuddered a little and made an attempt to lift her head, but it proved futile.  
  
Clair kneeled down in front of her and lifted her head to face her own. She pulled away the strands of dirt filled hair. Weak jade green eyes fought to stay open as the hair was pulled away and light shown in. A once fair young face was now covered in bruises.  
  
Clair gave a half smiled. "Oh, you're not looking too good today, Ashley." She took a portion of cloth and wiped away some of the grim on the girl's face.  
  
A tear rolled down Ashley's face, followed by the low moan of sorrow. She tried to open her mouth to speak but couldn't find the strength to form words.  
  
Claire made a sympathetic face and shhhh'd the girl. "Don't worry now." She wiped another tear from the girl's face. "If your brother comes through you'll be out of here and back home."  
  
"You're giving the girl too much hope, Claire." Came a soft, male voice from behind. Claire glanced back.  
  
His thin body leaned against the doorway, white robed arms crossed in a lackluster form. Short blue hair stood clean and well groomed, two long bangs seeming to defy gravity as they hung at a high arc over his Blue eyes.   
  
"With all that hope you're giving her, if she dies, she'll become a wraith. And that would cause quite a stir."  
  
"Brad." Claire stood up and faced him. "There's nothing wrong with at least telling her there's a chance."  
  
He snickered. "You're getting a little soft."  
  
"A little compassion can do you some good."  
  
He eyed her with a hint of amusement. "So, how fares the boy?"  
  
"He's found a Light Dragon Priestess, so things should be going smoothly."  
  
He smiled in satisfaction. "Excellent."  
  
Claire glanced at the girl. "Don't you think we should get her out of here? She looks like death itself."  
  
Brad gazed at the prisoner. "Yes. We can't let her die. Not yet anyway." He nodded in agreement. "Guards!"  
  
The two sentry mages quickly rushed to the cell. "Take this prisoner to the Gardor tower section. Clean her up and get those wounds attended to." The silent sentinels nodded and went about carrying out their order.  
  
Brad's eyes connected with Claire's. "Come to my room. We have some things to...discuss."  
  
She nodded in response as he began to walk away. Claire glanced back at the girl as the metal cuffs were unhinged. The guards picked up her limp body and began to carry her away.  
  
"Ni...chol...as...." The girl rasped out as they took her away.  
  
Claire shook her head and headed out of the cell.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Nicholas came to a halt. They had reached a new area. Black and vast, stalactites pointed down from above. Wil walked in a bit and spread his torch light in front of them.  
  
Corpses. Skeletons. Rotting bodies. And flies, so many flies gorging themselves on the all you can eat dinner.  
  
Sarah struggled to keep herself from vomiting at the sight.   
  
Wil took a nervous step back. "This can only mean trouble."  
  
A small movement caught Sarah's eye. One of the bodies...did it move? The sound of a rattling bone came from somewhere deeper in.  
  
Wil slowly reached for his thin silver sword, grasping it and pulling it out of the sheath carefully. As the blade finished, one of the still rotting corpses stood. The upper half of it's body hung to a side, struggling to keep balance. Old, purple skin infected with maggots hung loosely off it's bones. Another body began to stir, and another.  
  
Nicholas took a step forward from the party, outstretched a hand and began muttering the words of magic. He looked back at the other three and nodded. They understood.  
  
In a flash of red light, a flaming inferno consumed the nearest group of rots. They writhed in agony, or perhaps a motion of freedom, as their rotten skin and bones burned to ash.  
  
Wil dashed forward, jumping in a nimble fashion between a pair of skeletons. One side slash to the spinal cord with the blunt side of his blade shattered the skeleton to the right and a spinning kick destroyed the bleached skull of the second. He had agility Sarah hadn't given him credit for.  
  
A corpse she hadn't detected caught the light dragon off guard. She barely had time to move before Moose's massive steel hammer crushed the thing to pulp with a single downward pound. The Smith snorted, slung the hammer over his shoulder and casually walked towards his next set of enemies, destroying groups in single swings.  
  
Three undead began to walk to Sarah, slunking at a snail's pace.  
  
She placed her hands together and began muttering her own magic. A bright flash of white light lit the entirety of the cave. Although she only intended to destroy the three in front, nearly every other creature of the night was defeated as well. Their bodies slumped to the ground and wisps of their stagnant souls floated away.  
  
Sarah blinked in suprise as the glow faded.  
  
Wil smiled, walked over and patted her on the shoulder. "Now that was impressive."  
  
"I've never..." She stopped for a moment. "Actually used that spell to harm anything before."  
  
Wil let out a hardy laugh. "Well, it made our job a lot easier!" He looked over to Nicholas. "I guess our jobs done then, eh?"  
  
Nicholas stared away from Wil towards the other end of the cave vacantly.  
  
Wil approached the dark priest. "Hello? Nicholas? You ain't taking a vacation in there without us are you?"  
  
Nicholas shook his head, coming back to his senses. "No. We still have farther in to go."  
  
Wil cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talkin' about? This was the undead horde right here. I mean, we freakin' wasted them."  
  
Nicholas nodded and responded with both calm and determination. "Yes, this was the horde. But the source of the disturbance is further ahead." He looked at Wil with a stern gaze. "So we're going on, do you understand me?" He said with a deep, commanding voice.  
  
Wil looked back at him, his normally carefree gaze turned series. He nodded grimly. "Fine."   
  
The tension in the air was getting thick. The word 'scared' aptly describes Sarah's feelings at the time. She was confused. Why was she here? Should she even continue on? What plans did Nicholas have in store?  
  
This much was certain: Nicholas was no longer the person she had met the night before.  
  
"We're going." Nicholas said, stepping off towards the other side of the room.  
  
Wil noticed Sarah's conflicted face. "Hey." He said. "Don't worry. Anything happens, i'll protect you." He smiled warmly at her.  
  
She smiled back weakly. "That's alright. I'll be fine."   
  
He nodded in understanding. "We can't let him get too far ahead of us. He might get so uptight he'll fall over dead."  
  
Sarah giggled, nodded, and followed him as they tried to catch up.  
  
They continued on for a few more minutes, passing through a suprisingly cool passageway. For some peculiar reason, the sound of water could be faintly heard echoing around. The answer to that mystery was quickly solved.  
  
Sarah stared wide eyed as they entered a new area. Not a cave, but something more akin to an ancient temple.   
  
Before them stretched a long, cracked stone path which, as seen from a distance, led to a old, rusted metal gate. The walls stretched up reaching some twenty feet above them, connecting to the stone ceiling of the cave. Pillars stood up out of clear blue water at both sides of the path, supporting the top of the area. Some were broken in half from seemingly age. The entire area was lighted by some light source under the water, stretching out the shadows of the deep rippling pools across everything in the room.  
  
Wil and Sarah took in the entire scene, scanning everything from the ground up. Even Moose was wide eyed.  
  
"Where are we...?" Sarah asked in wonder as she gazed at the incredible scene.  
  
Nicholas said nothing, taking slow, soundless steps towards the gate.  
  
The eyes of Sarah ceased their wander lust as they came upon a mural on one of the broken pillars.  
  
It was ancient and most of it was worn away, nigh understandable. There were some key features of attention. From what she could see, it showed two spheres of some kind giving off a type of light, and two humanoid figures underneath with their arms raised to them, almost like they were worshipping them. She figured they must have been depicting the sun and the moon, seeing as most cultures worshiped the two.   
  
The next set of murals depicted two dragons locked in what appeared to be combat. Whatever was after that had long ago fallen into the watery depths below however.  
  
The voice of Nicholas broke her fixation with whatever story the mural held. "Moose. Come here and get this out of the way." He said, referring to the rusted gate. The smith nodded, made his way there, and with what seemed like very little effort, ripped the gate off it's hinges and tossed it aside.  
  
Wil tried to peer inside, but Nicholas blocked his vision. "This isn't for your eyes." He said coldly.  
  
Wil sneered and backed off. "I don't want to see whatever the hell is in there anyway!"  
  
Nicholas shrugged off the hostility and brought his attention to Sarah. "Sarah. If we are to end the source of this evil, we must enter." He said with as much kindness as he had shown the night they met. He offered her his hand. She took it hesitantly. "You two stay here."  
  
Wil was about to protest but stopped as Sarah shook her head in the negative to him. Whatever was going on, she was going to find out. 


End file.
